beneath the beskar | the mandalorian

fïftëën

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE REUNION

He watched as the skyscrapers through the glass began to rise, making the view of the stars fall away. They were being lowered onto the main street, the elevator gliding smoothly all the way down. The child's big ears poking out of his bag now, and his soft whines made Mando's heart ache.

He knew he had frightened the small boy by using violence. It was out of character for him, at least, the character he had developed for the child's sake. His anger had fueled him into rash decisions, just like in Mos Pelgo when Cobb Vanth had revealed his face. It was clear to him afterward that he would have to find a way to contain his anger around the child. Violence wasn't something he needed to be exposed to unnecessarily.

While his anger had been contained, it was impossible to ignore his desperation. He had only known Jane for a short time, but she was still his responsibility. He had promised her so much, and the longer she was gone, the more those promises seemed to dwindle.

Feeling the guilt wash over him, he reached down to touch the child's wrinkled head and gave it a pat.

"I'm sorry"

He cooed, looking up at his father before turning his attention to the opening elevator. Immediately, Mando turned on his heat tracker and began walking, sighing with frustration when he saw all the overlapping footprints. To make matters worse, they were all going in the same direction.

It was clear that this would take more effort than his usual hunting, especially considering he didnt have a tracker on Jane anymore. All he had to go off was his insights into her mind which by all accounts was limited.

He stepped out of the main flow of people, taking a moment to think. It was difficult to concentrate through all the noise, even with his helmet muffling it. Thoughts crossed his mind like a book, flipping rapidly as he tried to remember something that would lead him down the right path.

Jane looked at things with amazement, always searching for new experiences everywhere they went. He recalled how she looked at the trees on Zobori, how it was hard to get her attention when she was mesmerized by the water.

His helmet glanced up, watching the sky as she would have. He saw the lines of traffic intersecting and the thousands of lights from signs and stars alike. All of it seemed so stimulating, he was sure she wouldn't have watched where she was going. She would have followed the crowd for quite some time.

Feeling confident once more, he stepped back onto the main road, weaving through the crowd as quickly as his boots would carry him. A steadying hand stayed on the pouch at his side, allowing two nervous claws to hold his wrist gently. Loud noise had always bothered the child, and Mando could understand why. His ears were the biggest part of him, and they could hardly be pushed down with their pointy structure.

Much of the pain he felt, he knew the child felt too. He missed Jane just the same and had little emotional regulation compared to Mando. It made his tantrums more common, and he barely slept anymore. Part of him wanted to be angry at Jane for doing this to him, to both of them.

But then a nagging piece of his mind would remind him that it was his fault. He was the one that left her alone; a child who had barely recovered from years of abuse. It was more than stupid and he knew it from the second he told her to stay put. His fear had fueled him that day, and he supposed that fear had led her away from him too.

Just as he started to feel his feet ache, he looked up to the sound of police sirens. There was one speeder parked on the corner of the intersecting street with its lights still on despite the lack of a driver. Mando felt his eyebrows furrow, and he instantly stepped out of the main crowd, making his way over to the bench situated just across from it.